JP2019193255A - Cloud-based network optimization for connected vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To optimize radio communication by a connected vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle performs: an acquisition step of acquiring configuration data including a list of a plurality of channels available to a radio communication device mounted on the vehicle and a configuration selection probability value indicating the degree of selection preference of each channel; a selection step of selecting a channel other than the channel with the highest configuration selection probability value from the plurality of channels; and a configuration step of configuring the radio communication device so as to transmit a data packet using the selected channel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

(Cross-reference to related applications)
This application claims “CLOUD-BASED NETWORK OPTIMIZER FOR CONNECTED VEHICLES” and claims priority from US patent application Ser. No. 15 / 958,925 filed Apr. 20, 2018. These patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

  This document relates to providing cloud-based network optimization for connected vehicles.

  Connected vehicles can access various types of radio such as dedicated short range communication (DSRC), long term evolution (LTE), wireless fidelity (WiFi®), millimeter wave (millimeter wave). Each radio type behaves differently in different situations. There are existing solutions that attempt to help the connected vehicle choose the best radio type to use, but these have major drawbacks.

  There are existing solutions that use cloud servers to collect network data and determine the best radio type for various geographic regions, and these solutions connect data specifying the best radio type. Provided to tidy vehicles. All the various connected vehicles in the geographical area use the optimal radio type. These existing solutions have three disadvantages that are inappropriate for real-world use. First, existing solutions do not take into account the external channel load and resource requirements when determining the optimal radio type, so that often the radio type designated as optimal is actually Not optimal. Second, the existing solution defines the optimal radio type and then requires all connected vehicles to use this optimal radio type, but the channel congestion due to the radio type designated as optimal and Insufficient performance. Third, existing solutions globally set which radio type to use within each geographic region with the goal of maximizing the residual channel load experienced by each radio type in all geographic regions. Does not consider needs or benefits.

JP 2007-221339 A

  Described herein are an embodiment of a network optimizer operable on a server and an embodiment of a configuration selector installed in an in-vehicle unit of a connected vehicle.

In some embodiments, the network optimizer (network optimizer) provides information about different radio types (eg, DSRC, LTE, Wi-Fi, millimeter wave, etc.) at different geographic locations at different times. Build a database to describe. The network optimizer analyzes one or more instances of reporting data received from various vehicles and, for each geographical region at various times, (1) the amount of traffic generated by wireless devices other than the vehicle (ie, “External channel load”), and (2) the amount of network traffic generated by the controllable vehicle (ie, “resource demand”). The network optimizer analyzes the external channel load and resource requirements and other data contained in the database to generate a set of candidate radio configurations for each geographic region. The set of candidate radio configurations represents two or more different radio types that the connected vehicle can use in a particular geographic region. Each radio type is assigned a probability that reflects whether it should be selected, but the present invention has the highest connected vehicle to reduce channel congestion on the radio type with the highest probability. Designed to select a radio type lower than the probability. The network optimizer tracks the geographic location of the various connected vehicles and sends a set of candidate radio configurations corresponding to their current geographic location to the connected vehicle, which indicates that the vehicle has a new geographic location. Repeated every time an area is entered. The configuration selector, when executed by the in-vehicle unit, selects the radio type to use for various vehicle functions (eg, those provided by one or more vehicle applications of the connected vehicle). Includes code and routines operable to cause a set of candidate radio configurations to be used. The configuration selector also aggregates digital data and sends it over the wireless network to the network optimizer when executed by the in-vehicle unit, thereby assisting the network optimizer in building the database. Contains code and routines that can operate on

There are three exemplary advantages and improvements provided by the embodiments described herein that do not exist in existing solutions.
First, existing solutions do not consider external channel load and resource requirements when determining the optimal radio type. In contrast, the embodiments described herein allow for both external channel load and resource requirements.
Second, the existing solution defines the optimal radio type and then requires all connected vehicles to use this optimal radio type, but the channel congestion due to the radio type designated as optimal and Insufficient performance. In contrast, the embodiments described herein provide a connected vehicle with more than one radio type, and the connected vehicle is free to select the desired radio type. This approach avoids the channel congestion problem that exists in existing solutions.
Third, existing solutions globally set which radio type to use within each geographic region with the goal of maximizing the residual channel load experienced by each radio type in all geographic regions. Does not consider needs or benefits. In contrast, the purpose of the embodiments described herein is to maximize the residual channel load experienced by each radio type in all geographic regions.

  A system of one or more computers is configured to perform a particular operation or action by installing software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof that causes the system to perform an operation during operation. Can do. One or more computer programs may be configured to perform a particular operation or action by including instructions that, when executed by a data processing device, cause the device to perform an operation.

One general aspect is
Receiving, by the connected vehicle, configuration data describing a set of candidate V2X channels of a connected vehicle's V2X radio and a configuration selection probability value describing the likelihood that a particular candidate V2X channel of the set will be selected. Selecting a V2X channel other than the V2X channel most likely to be selected from the set, and configuring the connected vehicle's V2X radio to transmit data packets using the selected V2X channel. Includes steps.
Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, devices, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform a method action.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features.
A method wherein the configuration selection probability is operable to maximize the residual channel load experienced by all V2X channels supported by the V2X radio in multiple geographic regions.
A method in which a configuration selection probability is determined based in part on the amount of traffic generated by a wireless device other than a vehicle in a geographic region that includes a connected vehicle.
A method in which configuration selection probabilities are determined based in part on the amount of network traffic generated by controllable vehicles within a geographic region including connected vehicles.
A method in which the connected vehicle is a controllable vehicle, since the connected vehicle includes an in-vehicle unit having a configuration selector operable to perform the method when executed by the in-vehicle unit.
A method in which the connected vehicle is an automated vehicle.
The method may also include a method in which the connected vehicle is a highly automated vehicle that operates itself without human intervention.
The method wherein the selected V2X channel is selected from the group comprising any of a WiFi channel, a 3G channel, a 4G channel, an LTE channel, a millimeter wave communication channel, a DSRC channel, and an LTE-V2X channel.
The method, wherein the selected V2X channel is selected from a group that does not include any of a WiFi channel, a 3G channel, a 4G channel, an LTE channel, a millimeter wave communication channel, a DSRC channel, and an LTE-V2X channel.
Implementations of the described techniques may include hardware, methods or processes, or computer software on computer-accessible media.

One general aspect includes a system that includes a processor communicatively coupled to a non-transitory memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to have a V2X radio candidate V2X for a connected vehicle. Receiving configuration data describing a set of channels and a configuration selection probability value describing the likelihood that a particular candidate V2X channel of the set will be selected; and other than the V2X channels most likely to be selected Storing computer code operable to perform the steps of selecting a V2X channel from the set and configuring the V2X radio of the connected vehicle to transmit data packets using the selected V2X channel To do.
Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, devices, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform a method action.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features.
A system in which the configuration selection probability is operable to maximize the residual channel load experienced by all V2X channels supported by the V2X radio in multiple geographic regions.
A system in which a configuration selection probability is determined based in part on the amount of traffic generated by a wireless device other than a vehicle in a geographic region that includes a connected vehicle.
A system in which configuration selection probabilities are determined based in part on the amount of network traffic generated by controllable vehicles within a geographic region including connected vehicles.
A system in which a connected vehicle is a controllable vehicle because the connected vehicle includes a configuration selector described by computer code.
A system in which the connected vehicle is an automated vehicle. The system may also include a system in which the connected vehicle is a highly automated vehicle that operates itself without human intervention.
Implementations of the described techniques may include hardware, methods or processes, or computer software on computer-accessible media.

One general aspect includes a computer program product that includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause one or more processors to have a set of candidate V2X channels for a connected vehicle V2X radio, and Receiving configuration data describing configuration selection probability values describing the likelihood that a particular candidate V2X channel of the set will be selected, and V2X channels other than the V2X channel most likely to be selected from the set An operation is performed including selecting and configuring the V2X radio of the connected vehicle to transmit data packets using the selected V2X channel.
Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, devices, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform a method action.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features.
A computer program product whose configuration selection probability is operable to maximize the residual channel load experienced by all V2X channels supported by the V2X radio in multiple geographic regions.
A computer program product in which a configuration selection probability is determined based in part on the amount of traffic generated by a wireless device other than a vehicle in a geographic region including a connected vehicle.
A computer program product in which a configuration selection probability is determined based in part on the amount of network traffic generated by a controllable vehicle within a geographic region including connected vehicles.
Implementations of the described techniques may include hardware, methods or processes, or computer software on computer-accessible media.

One aspect of the present invention is a communication channel selection method executed by a vehicle, which is a list of a plurality of channels that can be used by a wireless communication device mounted on the vehicle, and a configuration selection probability that represents a selection preference of each channel. An acquisition step of acquiring configuration data including a value, a selection step of selecting a channel other than the channel having the highest configuration selection probability value from the plurality of channels, and data using the selected channel Configuring the wireless communication device to transmit a packet.
Also, one aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication device mounted on a vehicle, a list of a plurality of channels that can be used by the wireless communication device, a configuration selection probability value that represents a selection preference of each channel, Acquisition means for acquiring configuration data including: selection means for selecting a channel other than the channel with the highest configuration selection probability value from the plurality of channels; and transmitting a data packet using the selected channel Transmitting means.
Another embodiment of the present invention is an information providing method performed by a server device that provides information for selecting a channel to a vehicle capable of communication using a plurality of channels, the information providing method including: A first generation step of acquiring report data including location information and generating a network information database representing a wireless communication status for each geographical area, using the network information database, communication traffic by the vehicle, and other than the vehicle A second generation step of analyzing the communication traffic of each wireless device for each geographical region, and generating configuration data including a configuration selection probability value representing the selection preference of each channel based on the result of the analysis, and the configuration data Transmitting to the vehicle.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a wireless communication method performed by a vehicle capable of communicating using a plurality of channels and a server device that provides the vehicle with information for selecting the channel. Generates report data including location information and transmits the report data to the server device, and the server device generates a network information database representing a wireless communication status for each geographical area based on the report data, and the server A device analyzes communication traffic by the vehicle and communication traffic by a wireless device other than the vehicle for each geographical region using the network information database, and determines the selection preference of each channel based on the analysis result. Generating configuration data including configuration selection probability values to be transmitted to the plurality of vehicles, and each of the plurality of vehicles Among performs wireless communication by selecting a channel other than the highest channel the configuration selection probability values.

The configuration selection probability value may be generated based on report data transmitted from the vehicle by a server device that optimizes radio resources for each of a plurality of geographical regions.
Further, the configuration selection probability value is a value optimized so as to maximize the residual resources in the geographical region where the vehicle is located for all the channels that can be used by the wireless communication device. It is good.
The plurality of channels that can be used by the wireless communication device may be different types of wireless channels, and the remaining resources may be normalized values.
In the selection step, the channel selection may be performed after measuring the real-time congestion degree for each channel and correcting the received configuration selection probability value based on the measurement result. Good.
The configuration selection probability value may be determined based on both a communication amount generated by a wireless device other than the vehicle and a communication amount generated by the vehicle.
The report data may include the vehicle position information and a measurement value for each channel.

  The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an operating environment of a network optimizer according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an operating environment of a network optimizer according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system that includes a network optimizer according to some embodiments. 6 illustrates a method for configuring channel selection for a vehicle-to-mono (V2X) radio, according to some embodiments. 6 illustrates a method for configuring vehicle-to-mono (V2X) radio channel selection according to some embodiments. Fig. 4 illustrates a method of operating a configuration selector for a vehicle endpoint, according to some embodiments. Fig. 4 illustrates a method of operating a server network optimizer, according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary analysis by a network optimizer, according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary analysis by a network optimizer, according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary analysis by a network optimizer, according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary analysis by a network optimizer, according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary analysis by a network optimizer, according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of basic safety message (BSM) data according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of basic safety message (BSM) data according to some embodiments.

  An embodiment of a network optimizer is described. Examples of V2X communication compatible with network optimizers include the following types of wireless V2X communication: DSRC, LTE, millimeter wave, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE-Vehicle to Mono (LTE-V2X), LTE-Vehicle to Vehicle (LTE-V2V), LTE Device to Device (LTE-D2D), 5G-V2X, Intelligent Transport System-G5 (ITS-G5), ITS-Connect, Voice over LTE (VoLTE), and here Includes one or more of a derivative or branch of one or more of the V2X communication protocols described in.

  Described herein is a centralized cloud-based approach that helps a connected vehicle choose which radio type to use based on its situation, while correcting the shortcomings that exist in existing solutions. Fig. 6 is an embodiment providing a solution. A further object of the embodiments described herein is that the vehicle can be used in various situations so that all radio types available in each geographic region function optimally and have a maximum residual bandwidth at a given time. It is to provide a system for globally adjusting the radio type used in the network.

  Many in-vehicle applications require consistent high quality access to digital data received via one or more wireless channels of a connected vehicle in order to provide that functionality. For example, an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS system) for a connected vehicle is fatal to a connected vehicle because it does not have consistent access to digital data received from one of the connected vehicle's radio channels. An action decision can be made.

  Image recognition is often inaccurate. This is a potentially fatal problem when image recognition is used in vehicle applications. For example, if image recognition is used to determine the content of a road sign, the vehicle's ADAS system may make a fatal motion decision for the vehicle based on inaccurate image recognition results.

  Connected vehicles can access many different V2X radio types (eg, DSRC, LTE, WiFi, millimeter waves, etc.). Each radio type behaves differently in different situations. Although there are existing solutions that attempt to help the connected vehicle select the best radio type to use, these existing solutions have significant drawbacks. For example, when these existing solutions attempt to assist a connected vehicle in selecting the optimal radio type to use, the following information is provided: (1) traffic generated by a wireless device other than the vehicle It does not take into account the external channel load defined as a quantity, and (2) the resource demands defined as the amount of network traffic generated by a controllable vehicle.

  Not considering the external channel load and resource requirements is a significant drawback in existing solutions. For example, radio solutions that are designated as optimal are often not optimal in practice because existing solutions do not take into account the significant impact of external channel load and resource requirements.

Described herein is a centralized cloud-based solution that helps a connected vehicle select which radio type to use (or which type of radio channel to use) based on the situation. Is an embodiment of a network optimizer that provides The network optimizer embodiments described herein connect digital data to help a connected vehicle select which V2X radio (or V2X channel) to use for a given situation. Overcoming the shortcomings of existing solutions by considering both external channel load and resource requirements when serving to vehicles. In some embodiments, the network optimizer may vary the connected vehicle so that all radio types available in each geographic region function optimally and have a maximum residual bandwidth at a given time. It is operable to provide a system for globally adjusting the radio type used in different situations.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer includes code and routines installed in the server's non-transitory memory configured to be accessed and executed by the server's processor. The server has a network communication function. The network optimizer is operable to cause the server to communicate with the wireless network. The network optimizer communicates wirelessly with the connected vehicle configuration client. The configuration client includes code and routines installed on the in-vehicle unit of the connected vehicle. The connected vehicle has a network communication function. The configuration selector is operable to cause the connected vehicle to communicate with the wireless network. The configuration selector works with the network optimizer to assist the network optimizer in providing its functionality. For example, the configuration selector, when executed by an in-vehicle unit of a connected vehicle, is operable to cause the in-vehicle unit to aggregate report data and transmit the report data to the network optimizer via a wireless network. Includes code and routines.

  In some embodiments, the report data includes the following information: (1) a unique identifier of the connected vehicle (eg, vehicle identification number (VIN number)), (2) the geographical location of the connected vehicle, ( 3) Number of vehicles detected at geographical points in various locations (eg, detected via DSRC, BSM probe, camera image, radar, LIDAR, network traffic sniffer, etc.), (4) Each V2X radio at various points in time Average transmission rate observed for type (eg, DSRC, LTE, WiFi, millimeter wave, etc.) (eg, observed by network traffic sniffer or some other sensor of connected vehicle), (5) Each radio type at various times Average overall channel load, (6) for each radio type at various times Ket error rate, (7) channel usage of various radio types at various points in time, (8) observed from smartphones (eg, carried by users of connected vehicles) and other non-vehicle endpoints Wireless communication traffic, (9) wireless communication traffic observed from a vehicle endpoint (e.g., observed by a network traffic sniffer or some other sensor of the connected vehicle), and (10) the wireless configuration used by the connected vehicle ( For example, digital data describing V2X radio channel).

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer receives report data from many different connected vehicles (each with its own instance of a configuration selector). The network optimizer uses the reported data to provide the following data for various geographic regions: (1) the expected number of vehicles at various points in time, (2) each V2X radio type at various points in time (eg, DSRC (3) Average overall channel load for each radio type at various times, (4) Other network data such as packet error rate, channel usage, traffic source, etc. Build a network information database (or other data structure) to describe. See, for example, FIG. 7 and the description of the network optimizer statistical analyzer functionality provided herein.

In some embodiments, the geographic area (eg, California) is a plurality of geographic areas (eg, counties, blocks having the same area as the grid system, or other to form a geographic area). Divided into some basis). The network information database is indexed based on the geographical area so that the data stored in the network information database can be obtained for each geographical area. Each time a network optimizer receives a new instance of reporting data, it analyzes the geographic location contained therein (eg, GPS coordinates) to determine which geographic region contains this geographic location. The network optimizer then associates information contained in the report data with this particular geographic region.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer analyzes this data and for each geographic region the following information: (1) the amount of traffic generated by non-vehicle wireless devices (ie, “external channel load”) (2) Determine the amount of network traffic (ie, “resource request”) generated by the controllable vehicle.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer analyzes the external channel load, resource requirements, and other data included in the network information database for each geographic region and sets a set of candidate radio configurations for each geographic region. Is generated. The set of candidate radio configurations describes two or more network types that the connected vehicle should use based on its geographic region. Each region has its own set of radio configurations.

In some embodiments, each network type included in the set of candidate radio configurations is assigned a configuration selection probability. The configuration selection probability is a numeric value or value that represents the likelihood that a particular radio type is a network type that a connected vehicle should select based on its geographical location. That is, the configuration selection probability is a value representing the likelihood that a specific radio type is selected or the selection preference.
In some embodiments, an exemplary advantage and improvement of the embodiments described herein is that the connected vehicle is free to select a network type that has a lower probability, because normally all This is because channel congestion occurs when the network type that the vehicle has the highest probability is always selected. Another exemplary advantage and improvement of the embodiments described herein is that the network optimizer is responsible for the residual channel load / channel for each available radio type in the geographic region. The configuration selection probability is assigned for the purpose of maximizing the amount of remaining resources after applying a load.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer tracks the geographical location of the various connected vehicles based on the report data received for the various connected vehicles. For each instance of report data, the network optimizer uses the VIN number contained in the report data (this is an optional feature of the network optimizer) to make this particular connected vehicle a network optimizer. Search for geographic information contained in the last instance of the report data provided. By comparing the current geographic information with the previous geographic information, the network optimizer can determine whether this particular connected vehicle has entered a new geographic region. When certain connected vehicles enter a new geographic area (relative to the last new geographic area in which they entered), the network optimizer sets a set of candidate radio configurations corresponding to those new geographic areas To the connected vehicle.

  In some embodiments, the connected vehicle configuration selector receives a set of candidate radio configurations. The configuration selector is configured to select which radio type to use for various vehicle functions using the set of candidate radio configurations. An exemplary advantage and improvement of the embodiments described herein is that the configuration selector is configured to not necessarily select the candidate radio configuration with the highest configuration selection probability.

  In some embodiments, the configuration selector is an element of an autonomous vehicle. In some embodiments, the configuration selector is an element of a non-autonomous vehicle.

In some embodiments, the connected vehicle including the configuration selector is a DSRC equipped vehicle. DSRC-equipped vehicles include (1) DSRC radios, (2) include DSRC-compliant global positioning system (GPS) units, and (3) legally send DSRC messages within the jurisdiction where DSRC-equipped vehicles are located. The vehicle is operable to transmit and receive. A DSRC radio is hardware that includes a DSRC receiver and a DSRC transmitter. The DSRC radio is operable to transmit and receive DSRC messages wirelessly. A DSRC-compliant GPS unit is operable to provide location information for a vehicle with lane level accuracy (or any other DSRC-equipped device that includes a DSRC-compliant GPS unit). A DSRC-compliant GPS unit is described in more detail below.

  A “DSRC equipped” device is a processor-based device that includes a DSRC radio, a DSRC compliant GPS unit, and is operable to legally send and receive DSRC messages within the jurisdiction where the DSRC equipped device is located. Various endpoints include, for example, roadside units (RSUs), smartphones, tablet computers, and DSRC radios such as those described above and any other processor-based that is operable to legally send and receive DSRC messages DSRC-equipped devices, including the following computing devices.

  In some embodiments, an RSU that is a DSRC-equipped device does not include a DSRC-compliant GPS unit, but includes a non-transitory memory that stores digital data describing RSU location information with lane-level accuracy; The RSU's DSRC radio or some other system adds a copy of this digital data to the BSM data transmitted by the RSU's DSRC radio. Thus, the RSU does not include a DSRC-compliant GPS unit, but is still operable to deliver BSM data that meets the requirements of the DSRC standard. BSM data is described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, according to some embodiments.

  A DSRC message is a radio message specially configured to be transmitted and received by a highly mobile device such as a vehicle, and includes the following DSRC standards including derivatives or branches thereof: EN12253: 2004 dedicated short range communication-5 Physical layer using 8 GHz microwave (review), EN12795: 2002 dedicated narrow area communication (DSRC) -DSRC data link layer: medium access and logical link control (review), EN12834: 2002 dedicated narrow area communication-application layer (Review), and EN13372: 2004 Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC)-DSRC Profile for RTTT Applications (Review), EN ISO 14906: 2004 Electronic Charge Collection-Applicable to one or more of the Application Interfaces It is.

  In the US, Europe and Asia, DSRC messages are transmitted at 5.9 GHz. In the United States, a 75 MHz spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band is assigned to the DSRC message. In Europe and Asia, the DSRC message is assigned a 30 MHz spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band. Therefore, the wireless message is not a DSRC message unless it operates in the 5.9 GHz band. A radio message is also not a DSRC message unless it is sent by the DSRC transmitter of the DSRC radio.

Thus, a DSRC message can be any of a WiFi message, a 3G message, a 4G message, an LTE message, a millimeter wave communication message, a Bluetooth message, a satellite communication, and a near field radio message transmitted or broadcast by a key fob of 315 MHz or 433.92 MHz. Absent. For example, in the United States, a key fob for a remote keyless system includes a near field radio transmitter operating at 315 MHz, and transmissions or broadcasts from this near field radio transmitter are, for example, any DSRC DSRC radio equipment DS without conforming to the standard
It is not a DSRC message because it is not transmitted by the RC transmitter and is not transmitted at 5.9 GHz. In another example, in Europe and Asia, a key fob for a remote keyless system includes a short-range wireless transmitter operating at 433.92 MHz, and transmissions or broadcasts from this short-range wireless transmitter are used for remote keyless systems in the United States. It is not a DSRC message for the same reason as described above.

  Key fob radio messages created as a component of a remote keyless entry system are not DSRC messages for further reasons. For example, the payload for a DSRC message is also required to contain digital data that describes a rich amount of vehicle data of various data types. In general, a DSRC message always includes, at a minimum, the vehicle's unique identifier that transmits the DSRC message and the vehicle's GPS data. This amount of data requires a wider bandwidth than is possible with other types of non-DSRC radio messages. The key fob radio message as a component of the remote keyless entry system is not a DSRC message because it does not contain a payload allowed by the DSRC standard. For example, key fobs only send radio messages that are paired with key fobs and contain digital keys known to the vehicle because the bandwidth allocated to these transmissions is very small, This is because there is not enough bandwidth to include other data in the payload. In contrast, DSRC messages are allocated a large amount of bandwidth and are required to include much richer data, such as the unique identifier of the vehicle that sent the DSRC message and GPS data.

  In some embodiments, a DSRC-equipped vehicle does not include a conventional global positioning system unit (“GPS unit”), but instead includes a DSRC-compliant GPS unit. The conventional GPS unit provides position information that describes the position of the conventional GPS unit with an accuracy around 10 meters of the actual position of the conventional GPS unit. In contrast, a DSRC-compliant GPS unit provides GPS data (eg, GPS data 192) that describes the location of a DSRC-compliant GPS unit with an accuracy of around 1.5 meters of the actual location of the DSRC-compliant GPS unit. To do. For example, road lanes are generally about 3 meters wide, and an accuracy of around 1.5 meters is sufficient to identify which lane the vehicle is driving on. Called “level accuracy”.

  In some embodiments, a DSRC-compliant GPS unit operates to identify, monitor and track its two-dimensional position within 1.5 meters of its actual position for 68% of the time outdoors Is possible.

  Referring to FIG. 1A, an operating environment 100 of a network optimizer 199 is shown according to some embodiments. As shown, the operating environment 100 includes the following elements: own vehicle 123, remote vehicle 124, V2X connection device 122, and server 107. These elements are communicatively coupled to each other by a network 105.

  In FIG. 1A, one host vehicle 123, one remote vehicle 124, one V2X connection device 122, one server 107, and one network 105 are shown. May include one or more own vehicles 123, one or more remote vehicles 124, one or more V2X connection devices 122, one or more servers 107, and one or more networks 105.

Both the own vehicle 123 and the remote vehicle 124 are connected vehicles. For example, each of the own vehicle 123 and the remote vehicle 124 includes a communication unit 145A, 145B (collectively or individually referred to as a “communication unit 145” together with the communication unit 145C of the server 107), so that each vehicle A connected vehicle operable to send and receive electronic messages via 105.

  Network 105 may be wired or wireless conventional and may have a number of different configurations including a star configuration, a token ring configuration, or other configurations. Further, the network 105 may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) (eg, the Internet), or other interconnected data path over which multiple devices and / or entities can communicate. In some embodiments, network 105 may include a peer to peer network. Network 105 may also be coupled to or include a portion of a communication network for transmitting data over various communication protocols. In some embodiments, the network 105 is a short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), direct data connection, wireless application protocol (WAP), email, DSRC, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication network for transmitting / receiving data including full-duplex wireless communication, millimeter wave, WiFi (infrastructure mode), WiFi (ad hoc mode), visible light communication, TV white space communication, satellite communication or Includes cellular communications network. Network 105 may also include 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, LTE-V2V, LTE-V2I, LTE-V2X, LTE-D2D, 5G-V2X, ITS-G5, ITS-Connect, VoLTE, or Any other mobile data network or combination of mobile data networks may be included. Further, the network 105 may include one or more IEEE 802.11 wireless networks.

  The own vehicle 123, the remote vehicle 124, the V2X connection device 122, and the server 107 are end points of the network 105. In some embodiments, host vehicle 123 and remote vehicle 124 include instances of configuration selector 198. The own vehicle 123 and the remote vehicle 124 are collectively or individually called “vehicle end points”. The vehicle endpoint configuration selector relays the report data 193 to the server 107 via the network 105. In some embodiments, the V2X connected device 122 relays an instance of the report data 193 over the network 105 to the server 107 (eg, when a particular vehicle endpoint is outside the transmission range of the server 107). Server 107 includes an instance of network optimizer 199. Network optimizer 199 analyzes reporting data 193 from vehicle endpoints and based on this analysis, based on the geographic location of each of these vehicle endpoints (as indicated by the most recent reporting instance of reporting data 193). To determine a set of candidate radio configurations to provide to vehicle endpoints in the operating environment. Next, the network optimizer 199 creates, for each particular vehicle endpoint, an instance of configuration data 194 that describes a set of candidate radio configurations for this particular vehicle endpoint based on that particular geographic location. provide. This provisioning process is repeated by the network optimizer 199 for each vehicle endpoint. The vehicle endpoint configuration selector 198 then configures its own communication unit 145 based on the configuration data 194 received from the network optimizer 199.

  The own vehicle 123 is an arbitrary type of connected vehicle. For example, the host vehicle 123 is one of the vehicle types including the communication unit 145A, such as a passenger car, a truck, a sports multipurpose vehicle, a bus, a semi truck, a robot car, a drone or other road-based means of transportation. In some embodiments, the host vehicle 123 is a DSRC equipped vehicle.

  In some embodiments, the host vehicle 123 is an autonomous vehicle or a semi-autonomous vehicle. For example, the host vehicle 123 includes a set of advanced driving support systems 180 (a set of ADAS systems 180) that provide the host vehicle 123 with an autonomous function sufficient to make the host vehicle 123 an autonomous vehicle. The set of ADAS systems 180 includes one or more ADAS systems.

  The US Department of Transportation Road Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) defines various “levels” of autonomous vehicles, such as Level 0, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5. When an autonomous vehicle has a higher level number than other autonomous vehicles (eg, level 3 is a higher level number than level 2 or 1), the autonomous vehicle with the higher level number is lower Provides more combinations and number of autonomous functions compared to vehicles with level numbers. In the following, various levels of autonomous vehicles are briefly described.

  Level 0: The set of ADAS systems 180 installed in the vehicle has no vehicle control. The set of ADAS systems 180 can alert the vehicle driver. Level 0 vehicles are not autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles.

  Level 1: The driver needs to be ready to control the driving of the autonomous vehicle at any time. A set of ADAS systems 180 installed in an autonomous vehicle has autonomous functions such as one or more of constant speed travel and inter-vehicle distance control (ACC), automatic steering parking assistance, lane keeping assistance (LKA) type II. Any combination may be provided.

  Level 2: The driver is obligated to detect objects and events in the roadway environment and to respond (based on the driver's subjective judgment) when the ADAS system 180 set installed in the autonomous vehicle does not respond properly There is. A set of ADAS systems 180 installed in an autonomous vehicle performs acceleration, braking, and steering. The set of ADAS systems 180 installed in the autonomous vehicle can be stopped immediately when the driver takes over.

  Level 3: In a known limited environment (such as a highway), the driver can safely distract from the driving task, but must be prepared to control the autonomous vehicle when needed is there.

  Level 4: A set of ADAS systems 180 installed in an autonomous vehicle can control the autonomous vehicle in all environments except a few environments such as bad weather. The driver must activate the automation system (consisting of a set of ADAS systems 180 installed in the vehicle) only when it is safe. When the automation system is enabled, the driver does not need to pay attention that the autonomous vehicle operates safely and meets acceptable standards.

  Level 5: No human intervention is required except for setting the destination and starting the system. The automation system can be driven wherever driving is legal and can make its own decisions (this may vary depending on the region in which the vehicle is located).

  A highly autonomous vehicle (HAV) is an autonomous vehicle of level 3 or higher.

  Thus, in some embodiments, the host vehicle 123 is a level 1 autonomous vehicle, a level 2 autonomous vehicle, a level 3 autonomous vehicle, a level 4 autonomous vehicle, a level 5 autonomous vehicle, and It is one of HAV.

The ADAS system 180 set includes the following ADAS systems: ACC system, adaptive high beam system, adaptive dimming system, automatic parking system, automobile night vision system, blind spot monitor, collision avoidance system, crosswind stabilization system, driver's Drowsiness detection system, driver monitoring system, emergency driver assistance system, forward collision warning system, intersection assistance system, intelligent speed adaptation system, lane departure warning system (also called LKA system), pedestrian protection system, traffic sign recognition system, Includes one or more of turn assistants, reverse driving warning systems, autopilots, signal recognition and signal assistance. Each of these exemplary ADAS systems provides their own features and functions, which may be referred to herein as “ADAS features” or “ADAS functions”, respectively. The features and functions provided by these exemplary ADAS systems are also referred to herein as “autonomous features” or “autonomous functions”, respectively.

  In some embodiments, the host vehicle 123 includes the following elements: an ADAS system 180 set, an in-vehicle unit 126, a processor 125, a memory 127, a communication unit 145, a DSRC-compliant GPS unit 150, a sensor set 184, and an electronic display. 140, including a configuration selector 198. These elements of the host vehicle 123 are coupled to each other via a bus 120 so as to communicate with each other.

  Since the set of ADAS system 180 has been described above, the description thereof will not be repeated here.

  In some embodiments, processor 125 and memory 127 are elements of an onboard vehicle computer system. The onboard vehicle computer system is operable to cause or control the operation of the configuration selector 198 of the host vehicle 123. The on-board vehicle computer system operates to access and execute data stored in the memory 127 and provide the functions described herein to the configuration selector 198 of the vehicle 123 or its components. Is possible. The in-vehicle computer system is operable to execute the configuration selector 198 so that the in-vehicle computer system is one of the methods 300, 400 described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B and FIG. 4, respectively. One or more steps of one or more of

  In some embodiments, the processor 125 and memory 127 are elements of the in-vehicle unit 126. The onboard unit 126 includes an electronic control unit (herein “ECU”) or onboard computer system operable to cause or control the operation of the configuration selector 198. In some embodiments, the in-vehicle unit 126 accesses and executes data stored in the memory 127 to provide the functionality described herein for the configuration selector 198 or its elements. It is possible to operate. The in-vehicle unit 126 is operable to execute the configuration selector 198 so that the in-vehicle unit 126 is one of the methods 300, 400 described below with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4. Perform one or more steps of the one or more.

  In some embodiments, the DSRC compliant GPS unit 150 replaces the own vehicle 123 or the DSRC compliant GPS unit 150 with the following DSRC standards, including derivatives or branches thereof: EN 12253: 2004 dedicated narrow area communication— Physical layer using 5.8 GHz microwave (review), EN12795: 2002 dedicated narrow area communication (DSRC) -DSRC data link layer: medium access and logical link control (review), EN12834: 2002 dedicated narrow area communication-application Tier (review) and EN13372: 2004 dedicated short range communication (DSRC)-DSRC profile for RTTT application (review), EN ISO 14906: 2004 electronic fee collection-compliant with one or more of the application interfaces Including the hardware and software needed to.

In some embodiments, the DSRC compliant GPS unit 150 is operable to provide GPS data 192 describing the location of the host vehicle 123 with lane level accuracy. For example, the host vehicle 123 is traveling in a lane with a roadway. The accuracy of the lane level means that the position of the own vehicle 123 is accurately described by the GPS data 192. As a result, the traveling lane of the own vehicle 123 is provided by the DSRC-compliant GPS unit 150.
This means that it can be accurately determined based on the GPS data 192 for use. In some embodiments, GPS data 192 is an element of BSM data transmitted as an element of BSM by communication unit 145A.

  In some embodiments, the DSRC-compliant GPS unit 150 includes hardware that communicates wirelessly with GPS satellites to obtain GPS data 192 that describes the geographic location of the vehicle 123 with accuracy that conforms to the DSRC standard. . The DSRC standard requires GPS data 192 that is sufficiently accurate to infer whether two vehicles (one of which is, for example, the host vehicle 123) are located in adjacent driving lanes. In some embodiments, the DSRC-compliant GPS unit 150 is adapted to identify, monitor and track its two-dimensional position within 1.5 meters of its actual position for 68% of the time outdoors. It is possible to operate. Since the lane width is typically 3 meters or more, whenever the two-dimensional error in the GPS data 192 is less than 1.5 meters, the network optimizer 199 described herein is a DSRC-compliant GPS unit. Based on the relative position of two or more vehicles (one of which is, for example, the own vehicle 123) traveling simultaneously on the road by analyzing the GPS data 192 provided by the vehicle 150, which lane the own vehicle 123 is traveling on Determine whether you are doing.

  Compared with the DSRC-compliant GPS unit 150, a conventional GPS unit that does not comply with the DSRC standard cannot determine the position of the host vehicle 123 with lane-level accuracy. For example, a typical lane width is about 3 meters. However, the conventional GPS unit has only an accuracy of around 10 meters with respect to the actual position of the host vehicle 123. As a result, such a conventional GPS unit is not accurate enough to identify the driving lane of the vehicle 123 based solely on GPS data 192; instead, a system having only a conventional GPS unit is A sensor such as a camera must be used to identify the 123 driving lanes of the vehicle. For example, in some embodiments, the GPS data 192 is included in the report data 193 provided to the network optimizer 199, so having the more accurate GPS data 192 allows the network optimizer 199 to know about the vehicle 123. It is beneficial to identify the driving lane of a vehicle, as it will advantageously help to generate a more optimized candidate radio configuration.

  In some embodiments, the host vehicle 123 includes a sensor set 184. The sensor set 184 includes one or more sensors operable to measure a physical environment outside the host vehicle 123. For example, the sensor set 184 includes one or more sensors that record one or more physical characteristics of a physical environment proximate to the host vehicle 123. The memory 127 stores sensor data 191 that describes one or more physical characteristics recorded by the sensor set 184. The sensor data 191 can be included in the report data 193. The sensor data 191 is stored in the memory 127. In some embodiments, the DSRC compliant GPS unit 150 is an element of the sensor set 184.

  In some embodiments, the sensor set 184 of the host vehicle 123 includes the following vehicle sensors: clock, network traffic sniffer, camera, LIDAR sensor, radar sensor, laser altimeter, infrared detector, motion detector, thermostat, Sound detector, carbon monoxide sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, oxygen sensor, mass airflow sensor, engine coolant temperature sensor, throttle position sensor, crankshaft position sensor, automobile engine sensor, valve timer, air-fuel ratio meter, blind spot meter, curb Feeler, defect detector, Hall effect sensor, manifold absolute pressure sensor, parking sensor, radar gun, speed meter, speed sensor, tire pressure monitoring sensor, torque sensor, transmission oil temperature sensor, turbine speed sensor (TSS), variable magnetoresistive sensor ,car Sensor (VSS), comprising water sensor, wheel speed sensors, and one or more of the other types automotive sensors.

  In some embodiments, sensor set 184 includes any sensors necessary to build report data 193.

  The communication unit 145 transmits / receives data to / from the network 105 or another communication channel. In some embodiments, the communication unit 145 includes a DSRC transceiver, a DSRC receiver, and other hardware or software necessary to make the vehicle 123 a DSRC-equipped device.

  In some embodiments, the communication unit 145 includes a port for direct physical connection to the network 105 or another communication channel. For example, the communication unit 145 includes ports such as USB, SD, and CAT-5 for wired communication with the network 105. In some embodiments, the communication unit 145 includes a wireless transceiver for exchanging data with the network 105 or other communication channel, where one or more wireless communication methods include: IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802. .16, BLUETOOTH (registered trademark), EN ISO14906: 2004 Electronic fee collection-Application interface, EN11253, 2004 dedicated narrow area communication-Physical layer using 5.8 GHz microwave (review), EN12795: 2002 dedicated narrow area communication (DSRC) -DSRC data link layer: medium access and logical link control (review), EN12834: 2002 dedicated narrow area communication-application layer (review), EN13372: 2004 dedicated narrow area communication (DSRC) -R DSRC profile for TT applications (review), communication method described in US patent application Ser. No. 14 / 471,387 entitled “Full Duplex Coordination System” filed August 28, 2014, or another suitable radio Use communication methods.

  In some embodiments, the communication unit 145 includes the full-duplex adjustment system described in US patent application Ser. No. 14 / 471,387, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

  In some embodiments, the communication unit 145 may be a short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), direct data connection, WAP, email, or another suitable type. A cellular communications transceiver for transmitting and receiving data over a cellular communications network including electronic communications. In some embodiments, the communication unit 145 includes a wired port and a wireless transceiver. The communication unit 145 also provides other conventional to network 105 for delivering files or media objects using standard network protocols including TCP / IP, HTTP, HTTPS, and SMTP, mmWave, DSRC, etc. Provide connectivity.

  In some embodiments, the communication unit 145 includes a V2X radio 146A. The V2X radio 146A is a hardware unit that includes a transmitter and a receiver that are operable to send and receive wireless messages via any V2X protocol. For example, the V2X radio 146A transmits the following types of V2X messages: DSRC, LTE, millimeter wave communication, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE-V2X, LTE-V2V, LTE-D2D, 5G-V2X, ITS-G5. , ITS-Connect, VoLTE, and any hardware and software necessary to transmit and receive one or more of any derivative or branch of one or more of the V2X communication protocols described herein .

In some embodiments, V2X radio 146A is a multi-channel V2X radio that includes multiple channels. In some embodiments, some channels are operable to send and receive V2X messages via the first V2X protocol, while some channels are V2X messages via the Nth V2X protocol. Is operable to send and receive.

  In some embodiments, V2X radio 146A is a DSRC radio. For example, the V2X radio 146A is operable to send and receive wireless messages via DSRC. The V2X transmitter is operable to send and broadcast DSRC messages in the 5.9 GHz band. The V2X receiver is operable to receive DSRC messages in the 5.9 GHz band. A V2X radio includes seven channels (eg, DSRC channel numbers 172, 174, 176, 178, 180, 182 and 184), at least one of these channels being reserved for BSM transmission and reception. (Eg, DSRC channel number 172 is reserved for BSM). In some embodiments, at least one of these channels is a “PSM message-based device for vehicle mesh networks” filed on Oct. 27, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Reserved for sending and receiving pedestrian safety messages (PSM), as described in US patent application Ser. No. 15 / 796,296 entitled “Discovery”. In some embodiments, DSRC channel number 172 is reserved for sending and receiving PSMs.

  In some embodiments, V2X radio 146A includes non-transitory memory that stores digital data that controls the frequency for broadcasting BSM messages. In some embodiments, the non-transitory memory is GPS data for the host vehicle 123 such that the GPS data 192 for the host vehicle 123 is broadcast as an element of a BSM that is periodically broadcast by the V2X radio 146A. Store 192 buffer versions. BSM may be broadcast by V2X radio 146A via various V2X protocols as well as DSRC.

  In some embodiments, the V2X radio 146A includes any hardware or software necessary to make the vehicle 123 compliant with the DSRC standard. In some embodiments, the DSRC-compliant GPS unit 150 is an element of the V2X radio 146A.

  The electronic display 140 is, for example, any type of electronic display device, that is, a dash meter display of the host vehicle 123, a head-up display unit (HUD) of the host vehicle 123, an augmented reality (AR) display of the host vehicle 123, or the host vehicle 123. And one or more of the head unit of the own vehicle 123. An example of a suitable HUD and AR vision device is a US patent application entitled “Providing Traffic Mirror Content to Drivers” filed May 23, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 15 / 603,086. Another example of a suitable HUD and AR vision device is a US patent application entitled “Augmented Reality for Vehicle Lane Guide” filed on May 9, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 15 / 591,100.

  The processor 125 includes a logic unit, microprocessor, general purpose controller, or some other processor array for performing calculations and providing electronic display signals to the display device. The processor 125 processes data signals and includes a variety of computing architectures, including complex instruction set computer (CISC) architectures, reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architectures, or architectures that implement combinations of instruction sets. The own vehicle 123 includes one or more processors 125. Other processors, operating systems, sensors, displays, and physical configurations are possible.

Memory 127 is a non-transitory memory that stores instructions or data that can be accessed and executed by processor 125. The instructions or data include code for performing the techniques described herein. Memory 127 may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, a static random access memory (SRAM) device, flash memory, or some other memory device. In some embodiments, the memory 127 stores information on a hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, CD-ROM device, DVD-ROM device, DVD-RAM device, DVD-RW device, flash memory device, or more permanently. Including non-volatile memory or similar permanent storage devices and media including any other mass storage device. A portion of memory 127 may be reserved for use as a buffer or virtual random access memory (virtual RAM). The host vehicle 123 includes one or more memories 127.

  The memory 127 of the host vehicle 123 stores one or more of the following types of digital data: sensor data 191, GPS data 192, report data 193, and configuration data 194. In some embodiments, configuration data 194 is generated and received from network optimizer 199 via network 105. In some embodiments, sensor data 191 and GPS data 192 are elements of report data 193. FIG. 1B shows statistical data 152 and channel measurement data 153. In some embodiments, statistical data 152 and channel measurement data 153 are stored in memory 127 shown in FIG. 1A. For example, when the configuration selector 198 is executed by the in-vehicle unit 126, the configuration selector 198 causes the in-vehicle unit 126 to analyze the sensor data 191 and the GPS data 192, and based on this analysis, the statistical data 152 and the channel measurement value data 153. Contains code and routines that are operable to generate. In some embodiments, the report data 193 includes one or more of the following types of digital data: sensor data 191, GPS data 192, statistical data 152, channel measurement data 153.

  Referring back to FIG. 1A, although not shown in FIG. 1A, in some embodiments, the memory 127 stores one or more V2X messages received from the server 107 via the network 105. These V2X messages store configuration data 194 received from the server 107.

  In some embodiments, the memory 127 stores the BSM data 197 shown in FIGS. The BSM data 197 is received as a BSM payload received from the V2X connection device 122, the remote vehicle 124, or the server 107. For example, in some embodiments, configuration data 194 is included in BSM data 197 and from network optimizer 199 of server 107 via one or more intermediate endpoints such as remote vehicle 124 or V2X connection device 122. It is relayed to the own vehicle 123.

  In some embodiments, the memory 127 stores DSRC data that is digital data received in a DSRC message or transmitted as a DSRC message. The DSRC data describes any information included in the BSM data 197. For example, a BSM message is a special type of DSRC message that is sent at regular intervals (eg, once every 0.10 seconds), but the content or payload (ie, DSRC data) of the DSRC message is BSM. It is the same as that of the message (ie, DSRC data for DSRC message is the same or similar to BSM data for BSM message).

  In some embodiments, the memory 127 stores any data described herein as digital data. In some embodiments, the memory 127 stores any data necessary for the network optimizer 199 to provide its functionality.

Sensor data 191 is digital data that describes recordings and images captured by sensor set 184. The sensor data 191 includes (1) the number of vehicles detected at geographical positions at various times (for example, detected via DSRC, BSM probe, camera image, radar, LIDAR, network traffic sniffer, etc.), (2) various Average transmission rate observed for each V2X radio type (eg, DSRC, LTE, WiFi, millimeter wave, etc.) of V2X radio 146A at any given time (eg, as observed by a network traffic sniffer or some other sensor in sensor set 184), ( 3) Average overall channel load for each radio type of V2X radio 146A at various times, (4) Packet error rate for each radio type of V2X radio 146A at various times, (5) V2X at various times Various of the radio 146A Channel utilization for line types, (6) wireless communication traffic observed from smartphones (eg, carried by a user of own vehicle 123) and other non-vehicle endpoints, (7) observed from vehicle endpoints Digital data describing one or more of the recorded wireless communication traffic (eg, observed by a network traffic sniffer or some other sensor of sensor set 184).

  The GPS data 192 is digital data describing the geographical position of the host vehicle 123. In some embodiments, the GPS data 192 describes the geographic location of the host vehicle 123 with lane level accuracy.

  The report data 193 includes (1) a unique identifier of the connected vehicle (for example, a VIN number), (2) the geographical position of the own vehicle 123, (3) the number of vehicles detected at the geographical position at various times ( (For example, detected via DSRC, BSM probe, camera image, radar, LIDAR, network traffic sniffer, etc.), (4) V2X radio types of V2X radio 146A at various times (eg, DSRC, LTE, WiFi, milli Observed average transmission rate (e.g., observed by network traffic sniffer or some other sensor in sensor set 184), (5) average overall channel load for each radio type of V2X radio 146A at various times (6) V2X radio 146 at various times Packet error rates for each wireless type, (7) channel usage rates for various wireless types of V2X radio 146A at various times, (8) smartphones (eg, those carried by the user of own vehicle 123, etc.) ) And other non-vehicle endpoints observed wireless communication traffic, (9) wireless communication traffic observed from vehicle endpoints (eg, observed by a network traffic sniffer or some other sensor in sensor set 184), (10 ) Digital data describing one or more of the radio configurations (eg, V2X radio channels) used by the host vehicle 123.

  V2X radio 146A is a multi-channel V2X radio that includes various types of V2X radio channels, and thus can transmit and receive various types of V2X communications. For example, FIG. 1B shows multiple V2X radio channels of V2X radio 146A used to send and receive V2X communications. Configuration selector 198 uses which of these V2X radio channels to transmit and receive V2X communications based at least in part on configuration data 194 most recently received from network optimizer 199 via network 105. To decide. Configuration data 194 includes digital data describing a set of candidate radio configurations for configuring V2X radio 146A based on the analysis provided by network optimizer 199.

For example, the configuration data 194 may include (1) a plurality of candidate radio channels that may be used by the V2X radio 146A to send and receive V2X communications, and (2) one or more of the report data 193 for each particular candidate radio channel. Describes the configuration selection probabilities determined by the network optimizer 199 based on analyzing the instances. The configuration selector 198
When executed by the in-vehicle unit 126, causes the in-vehicle unit 126 to obtain the configuration data 194 from the memory 127 and at least a portion of the configuration selection probability for each of these candidate radio channels for use in sending and receiving V2X messages. Code and routines operable to cause one of a plurality of candidate radio channels to be selected based on the target.

  In some embodiments, the configuration selection probability is the network type that the specific radio type (ie, the specific V2X channel of V2X radio 146A) should select based on its geographic location. It is a numerical value or value that represents the possibility. Each configuration selection probability described by configuration data 194 is logically associated (or assigned) with a single candidate radio channel within the organization of configuration data 194. Accordingly, configuration data 194 describes (1) multiple candidate radio channels, and (2) multiple values for configuration selection probability, and one configuration selection probability value for each candidate radio channel.

  In some embodiments, exemplary advantages and improvements of the configuration selector 198 over existing solutions are that the code and routines of the configuration selector 198 determine the configuration selection probability that the configuration selector 198 has the highest likelihood. It is operable to not necessarily select a candidate radio channel having a value, because selecting a candidate radio channel having a high probability value leads to channel congestion of this candidate radio channel. That is, channel congestion is caused by all of the own vehicles 123 in this particular geographical region selecting the same candidate radio channel simultaneously during the same period.

  A plurality of candidate radio channels included in an instance of configuration data 194 is described as a “candidate radio configuration set”. Configuration selector 198 selects one candidate radio channel as the configuration of V2X radio 146A for a period of time, and configures V2X radio 146A based at least in part on configuration data 194. Accordingly, the plurality of candidate radio channels described by the configuration data 194 is a set of candidate radio configurations for the V2X radio 146A of the host vehicle 123.

  In some embodiments, each candidate radio channel included in the plurality of candidate radio channels described by configuration data 194 is a V2X channel and not a non-V2X channel.

  In some embodiments, the geographic region includes a plurality of vehicles (eg, own vehicle 123 and remote vehicle 124) that can be controlled by the network optimizer 199, with each vehicle within that geographic region having the same configuration. Data 194 is received. However, the configuration selector 198 for each vehicle endpoint allows various configuration selectors 198 within the same geographic region to select various candidate radio channels as configurations for the V2X radios of those vehicles. Configured.

  In some embodiments, each set of candidate radio configurations described by various instances of configuration data 194 for various vehicles (eg, own vehicle 123 and remote vehicle 124) over one or more geographic regions. When assigning a selection probability value, each set of candidate radio configurations for each geographic region maximizes (or substantially) the residual channel load for each available radio type (eg, V2X channel type) in each geographic region. Are optimized collectively with respect to each other by the network optimizer 199.

  In some embodiments, the configuration selector 198 operates to cause the processor 125 to perform one or more of the steps of the methods 300, 400 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 when executed by the processor 125. Includes possible software.

  In some embodiments, configuration selector 198 is implemented using hardware that includes a field programmable gate array (“FPGA”) or an application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”). In some other embodiments, configuration selector 198 is implemented using a combination of hardware and software.

  Since remote vehicle 124 includes the same elements as host vehicle 123, description thereof will not be repeated here. For example, the remote vehicle 124 includes one or more of the following elements: a configuration selector 198, a communication unit 145B that includes a V2X radio 146B. Since the configuration selector 198 of the remote vehicle 124 provides the same function as the configuration selector 198 of the host vehicle 123, the description thereof will not be repeated here. Since communication unit 145B and V2X radio 146B of remote vehicle 124 provide the same functions as communication unit 145A and V2X radio 146A of host vehicle 123, description thereof will not be repeated here.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1A, in some embodiments, the remote vehicle 124 includes one or more of the elements of the host vehicle 123. For example, the remote vehicle 124 includes one or more of a sensor set 184, an in-vehicle unit 126, a processor 125, a memory 127, a set of ADAS systems 180, a DSRC compliant GPS unit 150, and an electronic display 140.

  The configuration selector 198 of the remote vehicle 124 provides the remote vehicle 124 with the same functions that the configuration selector 198 of the host vehicle 123 provides to the host vehicle 123. For example, the configuration selector 198 of the remote vehicle 124 generates report data 193, provides the report data 193 to the network optimizer 199 via the network 105, and determines how to configure the V2X radio 146B of the communication unit 145B. In selecting (ie, in determining which V2X channel of V2X radio 146B to use for sending and receiving V2X messages), configuration data 194 received from network optimizer 199 via network 105 is used.

  The V2X connection device 122 includes a smartphone, tablet computer, personal computer, roadside machine, or some other processor-based computing device that includes a communication unit such as a communication unit 145A. In some embodiments, the V2X connection device 122 is a DSRC equipped device. The V2X connection device 122 is operable to receive, for example, V2X messages and relay these messages to other connection devices such as the host vehicle 123, the remote vehicle 124, and the server 107. In this way, the V2X connection device 122 relays the V2X message to an endpoint that would normally be outside the transmission range of the endpoint that transmitted the V2X message.

  Server 107 is a processor-based computing device. For example, the computing device includes a stand-alone hardware server. In some implementations, server 107 is communicatively coupled to network 105. The server 107 has a network communication function. Server 107 is operable to send and receive wireless messages over network 105.

  As shown, the server 107 includes the following elements: a communication unit 145C including a V2X radio 146C, a network information database 130, and a network optimizer 199.

  Since communication unit 145C and V2X radio 146C of server 107 provide the same or similar functions as communication unit 145A and V2X radio 146A of host vehicle 123, their description will not be repeated here.

  By referring to some functions of the configuration selector 198 according to some embodiments, the network information database 130 and some functions of the network optimizer 199 will be described according to some embodiments.

  In some embodiments, the configuration selector 198 is sensor data used by the configuration selector 198 to generate report data 193 in the sensor set 184 of the host vehicle 123 when executed by the in-vehicle unit 126. Includes code and routines that generate 191 and GPS data 192. The configuration selector 198 includes code and routines that, when executed by the in-vehicle unit 126, cause the communication unit 145A to transmit a wireless message including report data 193 to the network optimizer 199 via the network 105. These wireless messages are transmitted at certain intervals determined based on the time or distance the host vehicle 123 has moved.

  In some embodiments, the communication unit 145C receives one or more instances of the report data 193 from a number of different connected vehicles (eg, the host vehicle 123 and the remote vehicle 124) that have specific configuration selector instances. Receive. The communication unit 145C transmits this report data 193 to the network optimizer 199. The network optimizer 199, when executed by the processor of the server 107, causes the processor to use the network data database 130 based on one or more instances of the report data 193 using the report data 193 received by the communication unit 145C. Contains code and routines that are operable to cause

The network information database 130 includes the following statistical information for various geographic regions: (1) the expected number of vehicles at various points in time, (2) each V2X radio type at various points in time (eg, DSRC, LTE, WiFi, (3) Average transmission rate (such as millimeter waves), (3) Average overall channel load for each radio type at various times, (4) Digital data describing other network data such as packet error rate, channel usage, traffic source A data structure to be stored. In some embodiments, the expected number of vehicles is limited to connected vehicles within the geographic region and does not include unconnected vehicles, ie vehicles that do not have a communication unit. In some embodiments, the expected number of vehicles is not limited to vehicles having a configuration selector 198 because, for example, information regarding the usage of the network 105 of these vehicles includes the configuration selector 198 and reporting data. This is because they can be obtained by the network traffic sniffer of those vehicles that provide 193 to the network optimizer 199. In some embodiments, other network data may also be included in the report data 193 generated by the various vehicle configuration selectors 198. In some embodiments, the statistical information contained in the network information database 130 is determined by the statistical analyzer 131 of the network optimizer 199.
It can be said that the statistical information included in the network information database 130 represents the wireless communication status in the geographical area.

In some embodiments, the geographic area (eg, California) is a plurality of geographic areas (eg, counties, blocks having the same area as the grid system, or other to form a geographic area). Divided into some basis). The network information database 130 is indexed based on the geographical area so that the data stored in the network information database 130 can be searched for each geographical area. In some embodiments, whenever the network optimizer 199 receives a new instance of the report data 193, the network optimizer 199, when executed by the processor of the server 107, will return to the processor the report data 193. Cause analysis of included geographic location (eg, GPS coordinates), determination of which geographic region contains this geographic location, and association of information contained in report data 193 to this particular geographic region Code and routines that are operable.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer 199, when executed by the server 107 processor, causes the processor to analyze one or more instances of the report data 193 received by the network optimizer 199, and The following information for each geographic region: (1) the amount of traffic generated by non-automobile wireless devices (ie, “external channel load”), and (2) the amount of network traffic generated by controllable vehicles (ie, Code and routines operable to determine "resource requirements").

  In some embodiments, the wireless device other than the automobile is a smartphone or other processor-based communication device other than the automobile. Thus, in some embodiments, external channel load refers to the network 105 usage of these non-automobile wireless devices.

  In some embodiments, a vehicle is a “controllable vehicle” if it includes a configuration selector 198. For example, the host vehicle 123 and the remote vehicle 124 are controllable vehicles, but a vehicle that does not include the configuration selector 198 is not a controllable vehicle. Thus, in some embodiments, the resource request refers to the usage of the network 105 of controllable vehicles such as the host vehicle 123 and the remote vehicle 124.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer 199, when executed by the server's processor, causes the processor to receive external channel loads, resource requests and other data contained in the network information database 130 for each geographic region. Code and routines operable to parse and generate a set of candidate radio configurations for each geographic region are included. The set of candidate radio configurations describes two or more network types that the connected vehicle should use based on its geographic region. Each region has its own set of radio configurations. Configuration data 194 is digital data that describes a set of radio configurations for a particular geographic region.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer 199, when executed by the processor of the server 107, causes the communication unit 145C to send configuration data 194 to various specific vehicle endpoints corresponding to the geographic region. Each of these specific vehicle endpoints is arranged based on the geographic location included in the report data 193 provided by each of these vehicle endpoints. As used herein, the phrase “vehicle endpoint” refers to an endpoint of network 105 that is a vehicle and includes configuration selector 198, such as host vehicle 123 and remote vehicle 124.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer 199, when executed by the processor of the server 107, causes the processor to determine the various vehicle endpoints based on the report data 193 received for the various vehicle endpoints. Includes code and routines operable to track geographic location. For each instance of report data 193, network optimizer 199 uses the VIN number contained in report data 193 to determine the last instance of report data 193 that this particular vehicle endpoint provided to network optimizer 199. Search for geographic information contained in. By comparing the current geographic information with the previous geographic information, the network optimizer 199 can determine whether this particular vehicle endpoint has entered a new geographic region. When certain vehicle endpoints enter a new geographic area (relative to the last new geographic area in which they entered), the network optimizer 199 may include configuration data 194 corresponding to those new geographic areas. Submit the instance.

  In some embodiments, a configuration selector 198 for a particular vehicle endpoint, such as the host vehicle 123, receives configuration data 194 that describes a set of candidate radio configurations. The configuration selector 198, when executed by the onboard unit 126, is operable to cause the onboard unit 126 to use a set of candidate radio configurations to select a radio type to use for various vehicle functions and Includes routines. Exemplary advantages and improvements of the embodiments described herein are configured such that configuration selector 198 does not necessarily select a candidate radio configuration from the set of candidate radio configurations with the highest configuration selection probability. That's what it means.

In some embodiments, the network optimizer 199, when executed by the server 107 processor, causes the processor to:
Dividing the area of interest into a plurality of geographic areas, thereby designating a geographic area for the area of interest;
Receiving multiple instances of report data 193 from multiple vehicle endpoints;
Identifying, for each instance of report data 193, which geographic region each instance is associated with based on the included GPS data 192;
Constructing the network information database 130 such that each instance of the reporting data 193 is associated with the geographic region identified in the previous step;
Analyzing the network information database 130 for each geographic region, (1) external channel load for the geographic region (ie, the amount of traffic generated by wireless devices other than the vehicle), and (2) resource requirements for the geographic region ( That is, determining the amount of network traffic generated by a controllable vehicle;
Each geographic region from which report data 193 is received is also associated with digital data describing the external channel load and resource requirements determined by network optimizer 199 based on this report data 193. Storing digital data describing the resource request in the network information database 130;
For each geographic region, the external channel load for this geographic region, the resource requirements for each geographic region, and the reporting data 193 for this geographic region are analyzed to determine a set of candidate radio configurations for this geographic region (this is Determining (described by configuration data 194 for this particular geographic region);
Assigning a configuration selection probability to each radio type for each radio type included in each set of candidate radio configurations;
For each instance of report data 193 received by network optimizer 199, the vehicle endpoint that transmitted report data 193 has a new geographic area relative to the last instance of report data 193 received from this particular vehicle endpoint. The step of determining whether or not
If the vehicle endpoint enters a new geographic area, this vehicle endpoint will include the geographic location of the vehicle endpoint indicated by the GPS data 192 included in the report data 193 that the vehicle endpoint provided to the network optimizer 199. Providing code and routines operable to cause one or more of the steps of providing an instance of configuration data 194 corresponding to.

The vehicle endpoint configuration selector 198, when executed by the in-vehicle unit 126, operates to select a radio based on the set of candidate radio configurations described by the configuration data 194 received from the network optimizer 199. Contains possible code and routines. In some embodiments, configuration selector 198 does not have the highest configuration selection probability because channel congestion occurs when all vehicle endpoints within a geographic region always select the network type that has the highest probability. Configured to select a network type periodically. According to some embodiments, the configuration selector 198 operates using various clocks globally across all vehicle endpoints, so that the configuration selector 198 allows them to be in the same geographic region. In some cases, not all select the same radio type.
Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the configuration selector 198 corrects the configuration selection probability based on channel measurements (real-time congestion) acquired in real time. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent a plurality of vehicles from selecting the same wireless type based on instructions from the server.

  Network optimizer 199 includes one or more of the following elements: statistical analyzer 131, external load estimator 132, and radio configuration optimizer 133.

  The statistical analyzer 131, when executed by the processor of the server 107, causes the processor to analyze one or more instances of the report data 193 to determine which (e.g., based on GPS data 192 included in the report data 193) For each of the various geographic areas that are determined to describe the geographic area and indicated by the reporting data 193, the following types of statistical information are: (1) expected number of vehicles at various times, (2) various Average transmission rate for each V2X radio type (eg, DSRC, LTE, WiFi, millimeter wave, etc.) at any given time, (3) average overall channel load for each radio type at various times, (4) packet error rate, channel usage Determine one or more of the other network data such as rate, traffic source Including operable codes and routines.

  In some embodiments, the expected number of vehicles is limited to connected vehicles within the geographic region and does not include unconnected vehicles, ie vehicles that do not have a communication unit. In some embodiments, the expected number of vehicles is not limited to vehicles having a configuration selector 198 because, for example, information regarding the usage of the network 105 of these vehicles includes the configuration selector 198 and reporting data. This is because they can be obtained by the network traffic sniffer of those vehicles that provide 193 to the network optimizer 199. In some embodiments, other network data may also be included in the report data 193 generated by the various vehicle configuration selectors 198.

  In some embodiments, digital data describing the statistical information output by the statistical analyzer 131 is stored in the network information database 130 for each geographic region.

  The function of the statistical analyzer 131 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG.

  The external load estimator 132, when executed by the processor of the server 107, causes the processor to receive digital data describing the statistical information output by the statistical analyzer 131, and based on this statistical information (for example, Code operable to generate digital data describing an estimate of the external channel load for each V2X radio type in each of the geographic regions indicated by report data 193 (based on GPS data 192 included by report data 193) and Includes routines.

In some embodiments, the external load estimator 132 includes code and routines that describe the analysis 600 shown in FIG. The analysis 600 includes a set of variables. The statistical information output by the statistical analyzer 131 is configured to provide values for variables of the analysis 600 of the external load estimator 132. In some embodiments, the external load estimator 132, when executed by the processor of the server 107, causes the processor to retrieve a set of geographic regions from the statistical analyzer 131 (ie, the geographic region indicated by the report data 193). ) Including code and routines operable to receive the digital data describing the statistical information about, enter the variables of the analysis 600 based on the statistical information, and perform the analysis 600. The output of this analysis 600 is digital data that describes one or more estimates of the external channel load for each V2X radio type within the set of geographic regions (ie, the geographic region indicated by the reporting data 193).

  In some embodiments, digital data describing the external channel load for each V2X radio type within each geographic region is stored in the network information database 130.

  The function of the external load estimator 132 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG.

  Each connected vehicle serviced by the network optimizer 199 has a set of V2X communication options, ie, different types of V2X channels (eg, DSRC, millimeter wave, LTE, etc.), or different types of different V2X. Includes a radio. Network optimizer 199 generates an instance of configuration data 194 for each geographic region. Each instance of configuration data 194 includes digital data that describes V2X communication options and configuration selection probability values for each of these V2X communication options. When executed by the processor of the server 107, the radio configuration optimizer 133 causes the processor to receive one or more pieces of statistical information generated by the statistical analyzer 131 and an external load estimator generated by the external load estimator 132. Code and routines are included that cause the values to be parsed and, based on these inputs, to generate digital data describing the configuration selection probabilities for each of these V2X communication options. In this way, the radio configuration optimizer 133 describes the configuration selection probability for each radio configuration option included in the configuration data 194 and outputs the assigned digital data.

  In some embodiments, the radio configuration optimizer 133 includes code and routines that describe the analysis 901 shown in FIGS. The analysis 901 includes a set of variables. In some embodiments, the statistical information output by the statistical analyzer 131 is configured to provide values for the analysis configuration 901 variables of the radio configuration optimizer 133. In some embodiments, the radio configuration optimizer 133, when executed by the processor of the server 107, causes the processor to retrieve a set of geographic regions from the statistical analyzer 131 (ie, the geographic location indicated by the report data 193). Including code and routines operable to receive digital data describing statistical information about (region), to input variables for analysis 901 based on statistical information, and to perform analysis 901 . The output of this analysis 901 is digital data that describes values for configuration selection probabilities for each of the V2X communication options described by configuration data 194. In some embodiments, analysis 901 includes the residual channel load experienced by each radio type in all geographic regions indicated by report data 193 used to generate statistical information output by statistical analyzer 131. Operate to maximize.

  In some embodiments, digital data describing configuration selection probability values for each V2X radio type within each geographic region is stored in the network information database 130.

  The function of the radio configuration optimizer 133 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG.

  Referring now to FIG. 1B, a block diagram illustrating the operating environment 101 of the network optimizer 199 according to some embodiments is shown.

The operating environment 101 includes the following elements: a network optimizer 199 and an in-vehicle unit 126. These elements of the operating environment 101 are communicatively coupled to each other by a network 105. Although not shown in FIG. 1B, in some embodiments, network optimizer 199 is an element of server 107 and in-vehicle unit 126 is an element of host vehicle 123 or remote vehicle 124.

  Since network 105 has been described above with respect to FIG. 1A, the description thereof will not be repeated here.

  Network optimizer 199 includes the following elements: network information database 130, statistical analyzer 131, external load estimator 132, and radio configuration optimizer 133. These elements are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 121. The following elements, that is, the network information database 130, the statistical analyzer 131, the external load estimator 132, and the wireless configuration optimizer 133 have been described above with reference to FIG.

  The in-vehicle unit 126 includes the following elements: a sensor set 184, a configuration selector 198, a V2X radio 146, a vehicle application 161, and a radio switch 160. The following elements, namely sensor set 184, configuration selector 198, and V2X radio 146 have been described above with reference to FIG. 1A, and therefore their description will not be repeated here. The V2X radio 146 is either the V2X radio 146A of the host vehicle 123 or the V2X radio 146B of the remote vehicle 124.

  The vehicle application 161 is an optional component of a vehicle endpoint (eg, own vehicle 123 or remote vehicle 124) that requires its own function to send and receive packets of digital data over the network 105. For example, the vehicle application 161 may include an infotainment system, a navigation system, an ADAS system of the ADAS system 180 set, or other vehicle 123 or remote vehicle 124 that requests or causes transmission / reception of wireless messages via the network 105. Is one or more of some elements of.

  Radio switch 160 allows communication unit 145 to switch between various V2X radio channels, such as one or more of cellular channel 147, WiFi channel 148, DSRC channel 149, and "other channel 151". An element of unit 145, “other channel 151” is, for example, a millimeter wave communication channel, an LTE-V2X communication channel, a 5G-V2X communication channel, an ITS-G5 communication channel, an ITS-connect channel, and any other type Including any other type of V2X channel, such as V2X communication channels.

  In some embodiments, the configuration selector 198 causes the network optimizer 199 to send GPS data 192, statistical data 152, and channel measurement data 153 over the network 105. GPS data 192, statistical data 152, and channel measurement data 153 are elements of report data 193.

  Since the GPS data 192 has been described above with reference to FIG. 1A, description thereof will not be repeated here.

  The statistical data 152 is digital data describing channel load statistics for various V2X network types of the V2X radio 146 measured by the radio switch 160. For example, the statistical data 152 describes the average overall channel load for each radio type at various times.

  Channel measurement data 153 is digital data describing channel measurements of various V2X network types of V2X radio 146 measured by V2X radio 146. For example, the channel measurement data 153 may be recorded at various times (eg, based on which BSM was received and the BSM's unique vehicle identifier that can be used to count the number of vehicles in the BSM transmission range). Number of vehicles detected at the target location, average transmission rate observed for each radio type (eg, DSRC, LTE, Wi-Fi, millimeter wave, etc.) at various times, packet error rate of each radio type at various times Describe the channel usage of various radio types at various times, wireless communication traffic observed from smartphones and other non-vehicle endpoints, and wireless communication traffic observed from vehicle endpoints.

  In some embodiments, configuration selector 198 receives configuration data 194 describing a set of candidate radio configurations from network optimizer 199 over network 105. Configuration selector 198 selects one of the set of radio configurations and causes radio switch 160 to modify which V2X radio channel is used based on this selection. As shown in this example, configuration selector 198 has selected cellular channel 147 based on configuration data 194. Normally, configuration selector 198 may select the network type that does not have the highest configuration selection probability (e.g., V2X) because channel congestion occurs when all vehicles in a geographic region always select the network type that has the highest probability. The radio channel is configured to be selected periodically.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the wireless switch 160 sets the wireless parameters (eg, data rate) for each network type according to the wireless configuration selected by the configuration selector 198. The radio switch 160 also forwards the data packet coming from the vehicle application 161 (ie, a request for network traffic 156) to the network type selected by the configuration selector 198.

(Example of computer system)
Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram illustrating an example computer system 200 that includes a network optimizer 199 according to some embodiments is shown. In some embodiments, the computer system 200 may include one or more of one or more of the methods 300, 400, 500 described below with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4, and 5. A dedicated computer system programmed to perform the steps or analyzes 600, 901 described below with reference to FIGS. 6, 8, 9, and 10.

  In some embodiments, computer system 200 is server 107. In some embodiments, the computer system 200 is a V2X connection device 122. In some embodiments, computer system 200 is an in-vehicle computer of a vehicle such as host vehicle 123 or remote vehicle 124. In some embodiments, computer system 200 is in-vehicle unit 126 of host vehicle 123 or remote vehicle 124. In some embodiments, computer system 200 is the ECU, head unit, or other processor-based computing device of host vehicle 123 or remote vehicle 124.

  The computer system 200 includes, according to some examples, one or more of the following elements: a network optimizer 199, a processor 225, a communication unit 245, and a memory 227. The components of computer system 200 are communicatively coupled by bus 220.

In the illustrated embodiment, processor 125 is communicatively coupled to bus 220 via signal line 238. The communication unit 245 is communicably connected to the bus 220 via the signal line 226. Memory 127 is communicatively coupled to bus 220 via signal line 242.

  The processor 225 provides the same functions as the processor 125 described above with reference to FIG. 1A, and therefore description thereof will not be repeated here. Since the communication unit 245 provides the same function as the communication unit 245 described above with reference to FIG. 1A, the description thereof will not be repeated here. Since the memory 227 provides the same function as the memory 127 described above with reference to FIG. 1A, the description thereof will not be repeated here.

  The memory 227 stores any of the data described above with reference to FIG. 1A or 1B or described below with reference to FIGS. The memory 227 stores any data required for the computer system 200 to provide that function.

  In some embodiments, the network optimizer 199 is operable to perform one or more of the methods 300, 500 shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 5 when executed by the processor 225. Code and routines. In some embodiments, the network optimizer 199 operates to provide one or more of the analyzes 600, 901 shown in FIGS. 6, 9, and 10 when executed by the processor 225. Contains possible code and routines.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the network optimizer 199 includes a communication module 202, a statistical analyzer 131, an external load estimator 132, and a radio configuration optimizer 133.

  The communication module 202 is software that includes routines for handling communications between the network optimizer 199 and other components of the operating environment 100 of FIG. 1A or the operating environment 101 of FIG. 1B.

  In some embodiments, the communication module 202 is executable by the processor 225 to provide the functions described below for handling communication between the network optimizer 199 and other components of the computer system 200. A set of instructions. In some embodiments, the communication module 202 can be stored in the memory 227 of the computer system 200 and can be accessed and executed by the processor 225. Communication module 202 is adapted for coordination and communication with processor 225 and other components of computer system 200 via signal line 222.

  The communication module 202 transmits and receives data to and from one or more elements of the operating environment 100 of FIG. 1A or the operating environment 101 of FIG. 1B via the communication unit 245. For example, the communication module 202 receives or transmits part or all of the digital data stored in the memory 127 via the communication unit 245. The communication module 202 transmits or receives any of the digital data or messages described above with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B or described below with reference to FIGS. .

  In some embodiments, the communication module 202 receives data from components of the network optimizer 199 and stores the data in the memory 227 (or buffer or cache of the memory 227, or stand-alone not shown in FIG. 2). Store in buffer or cache. For example, the communication module 202 receives the configuration data 194 from the communication unit 245 and stores the configuration data 194 in the memory 227.

In some embodiments, the communication module 202 is operable to cause the processor 225, when executed by the processor 225, to perform step 303 of the method 300 described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. Code and routines. In another example, the communication module 202, when executed by the processor 225, has code and routines operable to cause the processor 225 to perform step 501 of the method 500 described below with reference to FIG. Including.

  In some embodiments, the communication module 202 handles communication between the components of the network optimizer 199.

  The statistical analyzer 131 performs a routine for performing one or more steps of the method 300 described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B or the method 500 described below with reference to FIG. Including software. For example, statistical analyzer 131 includes code and routines operable when executed by processor 225 to cause processor 225 to perform one or more of step 305, step 307 of method 300. In another example, statistical analyzer 131 includes code and routines operable to cause processor 225 to perform step 502 of method 500 when executed by processor 225.

  Since some of the functions of the statistical analyzer 131 have been described above with reference to FIG. 1A, the description thereof will not be repeated here.

  In some embodiments, the statistical analyzer 131 can be stored in the memory 227 of the computer system 200 and can be accessed and executed by the processor 225. Statistical analyzer 131 is adapted for cooperation and communication with processor 225 and other components of computer system 200 via signal line 224.

  The external load estimator 132 is a routine for performing one or more steps of the method 300 described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B or the method 500 described below with reference to FIG. Software that includes For example, the external load estimator 132 includes code and routines operable when executed by the processor 225 to cause the processor 225 to perform one or more of step 308, step 309 of the method 300. In another example, external load estimator 132 includes code and routines operable to cause processor 225 to perform step 504 of method 500 when executed by processor 225.

  In some embodiments, the external load estimator 132 includes code and routines that are operable to provide the analysis 600 described below with reference to FIGS.

  Since some of the functions of the external load estimator 132 have been described above with reference to FIG. 1A, the description thereof will not be repeated here.

  In some embodiments, the external load estimator 132 can be stored in the memory 227 of the computer system 200 and can be accessed and executed by the processor 225. External load estimator 132 is adapted for cooperation and communication with processor 225 and other components of computer system 200 via signal line 243.

The radio configuration optimizer 133 is for performing one or more steps of the method 300 described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B or the method 500 described below with reference to FIG. Software that includes routines. For example, the radio configuration optimizer 133, when executed by the processor 225, instructs the processor 225 to step 3 of the method 300.
01, including code and routines operable to cause one or more of step 310, step 312 and step 314 to be performed. In another example, the radio configuration optimizer 133 is operable to cause the processor 225 to perform one or more of the step 507 and the step 508 of the method 500 when executed by the processor 225. And routines.

  In some embodiments, the radio configuration optimizer 133 includes code and routines that are operable to provide the analysis 901 described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

  Since some of the functions of the radio configuration optimizer 133 have been described above with reference to FIG. 1A, the description thereof will not be repeated here.

  In some embodiments, the wireless configuration optimizer 133 can be stored in the memory 227 of the computer system 200 and can be accessed and executed by the processor 225. Wireless configuration optimizer 133 is adapted for coordination and communication with processor 225 and other components of computer system 200 via signal line 228.

(Example method)
Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a method 300 for configuring channel selection for a V2X radio 146 is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments. The steps of method 300 may be performed in any order, and not necessarily in the order shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

  In step 301, the area of interest is divided into a plurality of geographic regions, thereby specifying the geographic region.

  In step 303, multiple instances of report data 193 are received from multiple vehicle endpoints.

  In step 305, for each instance of report data 193, the geographic region associated with report data 193 is identified.

  In step 307, the network information database 130 is constructed such that each instance of the report data 193 is associated with the geographic region identified in step 305.

  In step 308, the network information database 130 is analyzed and, for each geographic region, (1) the external channel load on the geographic region (ie, the amount of traffic generated by a wireless device other than a vehicle), and (2) the geographic region. Resource demand for (ie, the amount of network traffic generated by a controllable vehicle).

  In step 309, digital data describing external channel load and resource requirements is stored in the network information database 130, and each geographic region from which the report data 193 is received is also based on the report data 193 and the network optimizer 199. Associated with the digital data describing the external channel load and resource requirements determined by.

  At step 310, to determine the set of candidate radio configurations for each geographic region (described by configuration data 194 for a particular geographic region), the external channel load for this geographic region, for this geographic region Resource requests and reporting data 193 regarding this geographic region are analyzed.

  In step 312, a configuration selection probability is assigned to each radio type included in each set of candidate radio configurations.

  Referring now to FIG. 3B, in step 314, for each instance of report data 193 received by network optimizer 199, the vehicle endpoint that transmitted report data 193 is the report received from this particular vehicle endpoint. A determination is made as to whether a new geographic region has been entered for the last instance of data 193. When the vehicle endpoint enters a new geographic area, this vehicle endpoint includes the geographic location of the vehicle endpoint indicated by the GPS data 192 included in the report data 193 that the vehicle endpoint provided to the network optimizer 199. An instance of configuration data 194 corresponding to the location is provided (eg, via network 105).

  Referring to FIG. 4, a method 400 of operating a configuration selector 198 for a vehicle endpoint (eg, a host vehicle 123 or a remote vehicle 124) is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

  In step 402, it is determined whether the vehicle endpoint that includes the configuration selector 198 has entered a new geographic region. If the determination at step 402 is affirmative, method 400 proceeds to step 408. If the determination at step 402 is negative, the method 400 proceeds to step 404.

  In step 404, it is determined whether or not the time threshold has been satisfied since the configuration selector last changed the setting of the vehicle end point wireless switch 160. The time threshold is defined by digital data stored in a vehicle endpoint memory (eg, memory 127). If the determination at step 404 is affirmative, method 400 proceeds to step 408. If the determination at step 402 is negative, the method 400 proceeds to step 406.

  In step 406, a determination is made as to whether a new instance of configuration data 194 has been received from network optimizer 199. If the determination at step 406 is negative, method 400 proceeds to step 402. If the determination at step 406 is affirmative, method 400 proceeds to step 408.

  In step 408, one of the candidate configurations for V2X radio 146 is selected from those described by the most recently received instance of configuration data 194.

In some embodiments, step 408 is configured such that the V2X radio channel with the highest configuration selection probability is not necessarily selected. For example, the vehicle endpoint clock provides an input to the configuration selector 198 which, when executed by the processor 125, determines the V2X radio channel with the second highest configuration selection probability in step 408. Contains code and routines operable to cause the processor 125 to select an instance when selected. Different vehicle endpoints include different clocks or clocks with different time settings so that each vehicle endpoint does not simultaneously select a V2X radio channel with the second highest configuration selection probability. ing.
As described above, the plurality of vehicle end points select a channel based on factors unique to each vehicle in addition to the configuration selection probability. The element unique to each vehicle may be a clock generated in the vehicle, or may be a communication start time, a vehicle identifier, or the like.
Further, in some embodiments, in step 408, the configuration selector 198 corrects the configuration selection probability based on channel measurements (real-time congestion) acquired in real time. This is because there is a possibility that the communication situation seen by the server based on report data collected in the past and the real-time communication situation may be different. In particular, when a plurality of vehicles select a channel according to only the configuration selection probability notified from the server, there is a possibility that the load on a specific channel increases rapidly. Therefore, in addition to the configuration selection probability, the channel actually used may be determined in consideration of the channel measurement value acquired in real time. For example, even if the notified configuration selection probability is high, if the real-time congestion degree is high, the configuration selection probability is corrected to be low. Even if the notified configuration selection probability is low, if the real-time congestion degree is low, the configuration selection probability is corrected to be high. According to such a configuration, congestion can be avoided because a plurality of vehicles perform channel selection while judging real-time communication status.

  In step 410, the radio switch 160 settings are updated based on the V2X radio channel selected in step 408.

  Referring now to FIG. 5, a block diagram illustrating a method 500 of operation of the network optimizer 199 of the server 107 is shown, according to some embodiments.

  In step 501, used by vehicle location (eg, GPS data 192), channel load measurement (eg, channel measurement data 153), amount of network traffic generated (eg, statistical data 152) and one or more vehicle endpoints. Digital data describing the wireless configuration being performed (eg, also statistical data 152) is obtained. For example, the report data 193 is generated by one or more configuration selectors 198 of one or more vehicle endpoints, and the report data 193 is transmitted to the network optimizer 199 of the server 107 and obtained.

  In step 502, digital data (eg, report data 193) is analyzed to determine the location or geographical location of the vehicle, vehicle density in various geographic regions, controllable vehicles (eg, having configuration selector 198 therein). One or more of the amount of network traffic generated by the vehicle endpoint) and the current network configuration of the controllable vehicle is determined.

  In step 504, the outer channel load for each geographic region is estimated.

In step 507, a set of candidate configurations is determined. In order to maximize the residual channel load experienced in all geographic regions, the configuration selection probabilities are also determined and optimized relative to each other. A configuration selection probability is then assigned to each of the V2X channel options included in the candidate configuration set. In this way, configuration data 194 for each geographic region is generated.
In this example, the V2X channels included in the set of candidate configurations are a plurality of different types of radio channels. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 10, normalized values may be used as the channel load and the residual channel load.

  In step 508, configuration data 194 is transmitted to the vehicle endpoints via network 105 based on the geographic location of these vehicle endpoints. For example, each geographic region has its own instance of configuration data 194, and each vehicle endpoint includes a geographic coordinate that includes the GPS coordinates described by the most recently reported instance of reported data 193 for each vehicle endpoint. Configuration data 194 for the region is received.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-10, the analysis provided by the embodiments described herein is described. FIGS. 6-10 are each related to each other, and a particular configuration selected from a set of radio configurations (such as that described by configuration data 194) is used to transmit data packets over network 105. Assuming that a single type of radio to be described is described, and assuming that the vehicle endpoints (each of which is a connected vehicle) include n common network interfaces, the network optimizer 199 has n probabilities. p _1, ..., it is necessary to optimize the _{p n,} which is where _{Σ 1 ≦ i ≦ n p i} = 1.

  Referring now to FIG. 6, a block diagram illustrating an exemplary analysis 600 provided by the external load estimator 132 of the network optimizer 199 according to some embodiments is shown.

  Referring now to FIG. 7, a block diagram 700 illustrating an example of statistical information generated by a statistical analyzer 131 according to some embodiments is shown.

  In some embodiments, the statistical analyzer 131 analyzes the report data 193 to determine the values of the variables shown in FIG. These variables are then input to the external load estimator 132.

  Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a block diagram 800 illustrating how the analysis 600 of FIG. 6 and the statistical information generated by the statistical analyzer 131 are input to this analysis 600. According to some embodiments, the analysis 600 itself is further defined by FIG.

  Referring now to FIG. 9, a block diagram 900 illustrating the functionality of the radio configuration optimizer 133 and the analysis 901 provided by the radio configuration optimizer 133 according to some embodiments is shown.

  Referring to FIG. 10, a block diagram 1000 illustrating application of analysis 901 according to some embodiments is shown.

  In some embodiments, the analysis 901 is performed by the radio configuration optimizer 133 to achieve the goal of maximizing the residual channel load experienced by each radio type included in all geographic regions.

  Referring now to FIG. 11, a block diagram illustrating an example of BSM data 197 according to some embodiments is shown.

  A regular interval for transmitting the BSM can be set by the user. In some embodiments, the default setting for this interval is to send a BSM every 0.10 seconds or substantially every 0.10 seconds.

  BSM is broadcast in the 5.9 GHz DSRC band. The DSRC range can be substantially 1,000 meters. In some embodiments, the DSRC range can include a range of substantially 100 meters to substantially 1,000 meters. The DSRC range is typically 300 to 500 meters, depending on variables such as terrain and occlusion between DSRC equipment endpoints. In some embodiments, one or more of the vehicles 123, 124 shown in FIG. 1A and the V2X connection device 122 shown in FIG. 1A are DSRC-equipped endpoints.

  Referring now to FIG. 12, a block diagram illustrating an example of BSM data 197 according to some embodiments is shown.

The BSM includes two parts. These two parts consist of various BSMs as shown in FIG.
Data 197 is included.

  Part 1 of BSM data 197 describes one or more of vehicle GPS data 192, vehicle travel direction, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle handle angle, and vehicle size.

  Part 2 of BSM data 197 contains a variable set of data elements derived from a list of optional elements. A portion of BSM data 197 included in BSM Part 2 is selected based on an event trigger, for example, an activated anti-lock brake system (“ABS”) can retrieve BSM data 197 associated with the vehicle's ABS system. Trigger.

  In some embodiments, some elements of part 2 are not transmitted as frequently to save bandwidth.

  In some embodiments, the BSM data 197 included in the BSM includes a current snapshot of the vehicle.

  In the above description, numerous details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In addition, in order to avoid obscuring the description, the structure and the device may be represented in the form of a block diagram. For example, one embodiment is described with a user interface and specific hardware. However, this embodiment is applicable to any type of computer system that receives data and commands and any peripheral device that provides services.

  In this specification, the terms “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, and the like mean that a particular feature, structure, or property described in association with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. . A plurality of terms such as “in one embodiment” are used in the present specification, but these do not necessarily indicate the same embodiment.

  Some of the above detailed description is provided as algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits stored on a computer-readable storage medium. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively describe the nature of their work to others skilled in the art. In this specification (and generally), an algorithm means a logical procedure for obtaining a desired result. The processing step is to physically manipulate the physical quantity. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise processed. It is convenient to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numerical values, etc., as usual.

  It should be noted that both these terms and similar terms are associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely simple labels for these physical quantities. As will be apparent from the following description, unless otherwise specified, descriptions using terms such as “processing”, “calculation”, “computer calculation (processing)”, “judgment”, and “display” in this specification are computer systems and Operation and processing of similar electronic computing devices, including physical (electronic) quantities in computer system registers and memories, physical quantities in other memory and registers or similar information storage, communication devices, and display devices Operations and processes that manipulate and transform other data represented as.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations described herein. This device may be specially manufactured for the required purposes, or it may be constructed using a general purpose computer and selectively executed or reconfigured by a program stored in the computer It may be. Such a computer program can be connected to a system bus of a computer, for example, any type of disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, optical disk, CD-ROM, magnetic disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory ( RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic or optical card, non-volatile flash memory including USB keys, stored on non-transitory computer readable storage media such as any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions Is done.

  A specific embodiment of the invention may be realized entirely by hardware, may be realized entirely by software, or may be realized by both hardware and software. The preferred embodiment is implemented by software. Here, the software includes firmware, resident software, microcode, and other software.

  Further, some embodiments take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or readable storage medium. This storage medium provides program code used by or in conjunction with a computer or any instruction execution system. A computer-usable or readable storage medium refers to any device capable of holding, storing, communicating, propagating and transferring a program used by or together with an instruction execution system or device.

  A data processing system suitable for storing and executing program code includes at least one processor connected directly or indirectly to storage elements through a system bus. The storage device temporarily stores several program codes to reduce the number of times data is acquired from the local memory, the mass storage device, and the mass storage device during execution. Including cache memory.

  Input / output (I / O) devices are, for example, a keyboard, a display, a pointing device, etc., which are directly or indirectly connected to the system via an I / O controller.

  Network adapters are also included in the system to allow the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems, storage devices, remote printers, etc. via intervening private and / or public networks. Can be combined. Wireless (eg, Wi-Fi®) transceivers, Ethernet® adapters, and modems are just a few examples of network adapters.

  Finally, the algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to a particular computer or other device. Various general purpose systems having programs according to the description herein may be used, and it may be appropriate to produce a special purpose device for performing the required processing steps. The required structure for these various systems is made clear in the foregoing description. In addition, the present invention is not associated with any particular programming language. It will be apparent that various programming languages may be utilized to implement the subject matter described herein.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been made for purposes of illustration and description. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments are not exhaustive and are not intended to limit the present invention to the above-described embodiments. The present invention can be variously modified in accordance with the above disclosure. The scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, but should be construed according to the claims. Those skilled in the art of the present invention will understand that the present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. Similarly, the naming and partitioning methods for modules, processes, features, attributes, methods, and other aspects of the invention are neither essential nor important. Further, the mechanism for implementing the present invention and its features may have different names, division methods, and configurations.
Further, modules, processes, features, attributes, methods, and other aspects of the invention can be implemented as software, hardware, firmware, or combinations thereof. When the present invention is implemented as software, each element such as a module may be implemented in any manner. For example, stand-alone programs, parts of large programs, different programs, static or dynamic link libraries, kernel loadable modules, device drivers, and other methods known to those skilled in computer programming Can do. Further, implementations of the invention are not limited to a particular programming language, nor are they limited to a particular operating system or environment. As described above, the above description of the present invention is illustrative rather than limiting, and the scope of the present invention is defined according to the appended claims.

100 operating environment 105 network 107 server 122 V2X connection device 123 own vehicle 124 remote vehicle 125 processor 126 in-vehicle unit 127 memory 130 network information database 131 statistical analyzer 132 external load estimator 133 wireless configuration optimizer 140 electronic display 145 communication unit 146 V2X radio 150 DSRC compliant GPS unit 191 Sensor data 192 GPS data 193 Report data 194 Configuration data 198 Configuration selector 199 Network optimizer

Claims (16)

A communication channel selection method executed by a vehicle,
An acquisition step of acquiring configuration data including a list of a plurality of channels that can be used by the wireless communication device mounted on the vehicle, and a configuration selection probability value indicating a selection preference of each channel
A selection step of selecting a channel other than the channel having the highest configuration selection probability value from the plurality of channels;
Configuring the wireless communication device to transmit data packets using the selected channel; and
A communication channel selection method including: The configuration selection probability value is generated based on report data transmitted from the vehicle by a server device that optimizes radio resources for each of a plurality of geographical regions.
The communication channel selection method according to claim 1. The configuration selection probability value is a value optimized so as to maximize the residual resources in the geographical region where the vehicle is located, for all the channels available to the wireless communication device.
The communication channel selection method according to claim 1 or 2. The plurality of channels that can be used by the wireless communication device are different types of wireless channels,
The residual resource is a normalized value;
The communication channel selection method according to claim 3. In the selection step, the real-time congestion degree for each channel is measured, and the channel selection is performed after correcting the received configuration selection probability value based on the measurement result.
The communication channel selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The configuration selection probability value is determined based on both a communication amount generated by a wireless device other than the vehicle and a communication amount generated by the vehicle.
The communication channel selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A wireless communication device mounted on a vehicle,
An acquisition means for acquiring configuration data including a list of a plurality of channels that can be used by the wireless communication device, and a configuration selection probability value indicating a selection preference of each channel;
Selecting means for selecting a channel other than the channel having the highest configuration selection probability value from the plurality of channels;
Transmitting means for transmitting a data packet using the selected channel;
A wireless communication device. An information providing method performed by a server device that provides information for selecting a channel for a vehicle capable of communication using a plurality of channels,
A first generation step of obtaining report data including position information from the vehicle and generating a network information database representing a wireless communication status for each geographical area;
Using the network information database, the communication traffic by the vehicle and the communication traffic by a wireless device other than the vehicle are analyzed for each geographical region, and the configuration selection representing the selection preference of each channel based on the result of the analysis A second generation step of generating configuration data including probability values;
A transmitting step of transmitting the configuration data to the vehicle;
including,
Information provision method. The report data includes position information of the vehicle and measured values for each channel.
The information providing method according to claim 8. In the second generation step, the configuration selection probability value is generated so that the residual resources in the geographic region are maximized for all channels.
The information providing method according to claim 8 or 9. The plurality of channels that can be used by the vehicle are different types of radio channels,
The residual resource is a normalized value;
The information providing method according to claim 10. A wireless communication method performed by a vehicle capable of communicating using a plurality of channels, and a server device that provides the vehicle with information for selecting the channel,
The vehicle generates report data including position information and transmits the report data to the server device,
The server device generates a network information database representing a wireless communication status for each geographical area based on the report data,
The server device analyzes communication traffic by the vehicle and communication traffic by a wireless device other than the vehicle for each geographical region using the network information database, and selects each channel based on the result of the analysis. Generate configuration data including a configuration selection probability value representing moderateness, and transmit it to the plurality of vehicles,
Each of the plurality of vehicles performs wireless communication by selecting a channel other than the channel having the highest configuration selection probability value from the plurality of channels.
Wireless communication method. The vehicle selects the channel based on both the configuration selection probability value and an element unique to each vehicle.
The wireless communication method according to claim 12. The report data includes position information of the vehicle and measured values for each channel.
The wireless communication method according to claim 12 or 13. The server device generates the configuration selection probability value so that the remaining resources in the geographic region are maximized for all channels.
The wireless communication method according to claim 12. The plurality of channels that can be used by the vehicle are different types of radio channels,
The residual resource is a normalized value;
The wireless communication method according to claim 15.

Images